For their Super Bowl LII ad campaign, Tide partnered with Stranger Things star David Harbour and NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. “They are doing some innovative stuff in advertising,” said Harbour, who will be starring in the title role as a half-demon in the upcoming Hellboy reboot next year. “They had a funny and original idea in mind based on me and kind of what I do. It’s almost like a great little indie film.”

But Harbour is not allowed to say much else about the commercial. “It’s a surprise,” says the actor. “There was a joke behind the ad that I thought was very original and I had never seen before.” (However, Tide did provide some teasers which you can watch below.)

Harbour chatted with Parade about the spot, Stranger Things and his insight into Chief Jim Hopper and his connection to Eleven.

What was cool about working with Terry Bradshaw?

Tide had a fun and successful campaign with Terry Bradshaw last year. So they approached me about a concept that is totally different. Terry is a very powerful, large man and he’s funny. I’m around 6’4” and 240 pounds. So I rarely feel that intimidated by other men. But I’ve got to give it up to Terry Bradshaw. That guy is a complete bulldog. He is also super sweet and funny and warm and we had a great time.

The funny thing is I don’t know that much about football, and I don’t know that he knows that much about movies, so we were able to just relate to each other as people. Sometimes it’s great when you don’t know much about the other person. I found him to be a warm, funny dude. I basically tried to talk to him about staying married and how he makes his relationship work.

Stranger Things has really struck a chord with so many people. What went through your mind when you first read the script?

When I read it I thought it was really special. I thought it was one of the best scripts I ever read in my whole life. It had a throwback feel to it, and was also very specific with very rich characters. Not only was I entertained by the story on every page, I wanted to figure out what happened. Also, I was genuinely moved. The characters weren’t trying to move me. I was just moved.

With a lot of projects you never know if it’s going to be executed properly. And also you never know if people are going to respond to it. It was a kind of perfect storm or lightning in a bottle. Not only was it executed pretty flawlessly, the fact that audiences found and fell in love with it was very unique and special.

He has a really big, big heart. One of the things I love about him is that he doesn’t really show you that big heart. Nowadays people are interested in feeling their feelings. People say, “Don’t beat up on yourself. It’s okay to be sad.” But I don’t think Hopper feels that way at all. I think Hopper is the guy who believes men don’t cry.

I’m much more of a softie in that way. But I love that he’s the guy who wouldn’t admit he was sad or angry. He might not understand his own emotion. But he’ll just choose to do the right thing. He will go out and beat up some bad guy or break into a lab. He’s a man of action. I think that is so special about him. But it does come from this very, very good-hearted place that is buried deep, deep underneath this really rough exterior.

What is Hopper’s motivation for adopting Eleven? Do you think it is connected to his own child’s death? Or is it Eleven’s need for a parent?

I think it’s all those things. He has put himself in a very complicated situation. On the one hand, he sort of knows that he will never have another daughter like his daughter. And any time he tries to substitute Eleven, he sort of messes up. He is over-controlling. In that way he is learning how to let go of his daughter as much as it is to sort of have her again.

Also, at the end of the day, he will totally sacrifice his own happiness for protecting people. At his core root, his core being, he is a man of justice. Here is this little girl trapped in a situation that is entirely unjust. And he would sacrifice any amount of his life to right wrongs and to preserve justice. That is another thing I love about him.

AMG/Parade Digital

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